"Everyone's A Little Gay," Says Honey Boo Boo

I am the first person to admit it: I hate reality TV ... but I love watching it!

I do my best to avoid it, but every so often, I find myself catching marathons and getting caught up in the chaotic storylines. In my head, I know these shows are crafted to exploit our voyeuristic tendencies and induce higher ratings but I just can't help myself.

This week, I was introduced to a little show called "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." I have heard people joke and make fun of the show but I had never taken time out to pay it any attention. Just hearing the title made me curious enough to ask: What the hell is a "Honey Boo Boo"?

I decided to tune into the season finale and it seems the show is centered around Honey Boo Boo, a.k.a. seven year-old Alana Thompson and her family, as they prep her to compete in the kiddy pageantry circuit.

At first glance, I was completely turned off. Why would anyone want to watch a show about some self-proclaimed "rednecks" and a kiddy pageant queen? Furthermore, why would TLC (The Learning Channel) put this on television?

I was really struggling to find the value and as I made up my mind to change the channel, I heard one of the characters say the word "gay." I thought to myself uh oh.. this can't be good!

To my surprise, it was just the opposite. In fact, it was freaking awesome! Honey Boo Boo apparently has a gay uncle that they affectionately refer to as "Uncle Poodle." It turns out, the family was awaiting his arrival and counting on him to help whip Honey Boo Boo into pageant-ready condition because "gay men know how to dance and make the moves."

As the family gushed over Uncle Poodle's gayness, I found myself laughing and liking them just a little bit more. They greeted him with so much love and genuine excitement that it caught me off guard. When asked about her uncle, Honey Boo Boo herself proclaimed "there ain't nothing wrong with being a little gay. Everyone's a little gay!" That was my aha moment.

As an openly gay black man, I never would have imagined that I would have anything in common with the Honey Boo Boo clan but I did. Shame on me! I had made my judgments before giving the show a chance and they were actually celebrating a character that I closely identified with, the gay uncle.

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11. Cameron and Mitchell, Modern Family

Cameron and Mitchell are the absolute cutest, whether they're revisiting Cam's clown past or bickering over Mitchell being uptight. Their relationship is both hilarious and realistic, and their sassy daughter Lily just completes it. They're everything.

ABC

10. Piper and Alex, Orange Is The New Black

You know it's love when you're constantly getting roped into various dramas involving heroin, jailtime and horrific eyebrows just to be together.

Netflix

9. Arizona and Callie, Grey's Anatomy

Arizona and Callie were cute on Grey's Anatomy, even rocking their own distinctly styled gorgeous dresses at their wedding. But it's Grey's Anatomy and it's been on TV for way too long, so of course they couldn't just stay together and be happy. How else can they continue any storylines at this point? (Seriously guys, pull the plug on this show. When people begin to miss or agree with Katherine Heigl, it's time to take it out to pasture.)

ABC

8. Kalinda and Lana, The Good Wife

Bisexual master manipulator Kalinda Sharma can pretty much have her way with anyone she wants on The Good Wife, and then she'll use them however she wishes. While her relationship with Cary Agos is the most tragically romantic of sorts, her chemistry with FBI agent Lana Delaney is the hottest of any couple ever on the series.

CBS

7. Kurt and Blaine ("Klaine"), Glee

I don't want to spend too much time on this because I have an irrational hatred for this stupid show, but know this: Kurt and Blaine's romance gave us Glee's spectacular cover of "Teenage Dream," and for that we should all be thankful (except Katy Perry, who should be ashamed, because, well, her version is awful in comparison).

FOX

6. Alex Kelly and Marissa Cooper, The OC

Bad girl Alex Kelly and sort-of-good-girl Marissa Cooper got together after pretending to be dating to get Alex's psycho ex-girlfriend away. They later moved into together before ultimately splitting. Also, their first kiss was partially responsible for a lot of millennial guys' crusty socks. Just saying.

FOX

5. Emily and Maya ("Emaya"), Pretty Little Liars

Bisexual Maya and lesbian Emily have gone through a lot: Maya got sent to rehab for pot (remember, it's an ABC Family show), Emily's parents weren't accepting of their sexuality ... then they finally confirmed their total and undying love for one another and, like David Fisher and Keith Charles, lived happily ever after until one of them ended up dead. Yikes.

ABC Family

4. David Fisher and Keith Charles, Six Feet Under

After a long on-again off-again romance, David Fisher and Keith Charles of Six Feet Under finally come to terms with their own identities as well as with their love for one another, get married and adopt two sons. They live happily ever after ... until Keith gets murdered, but hey, shit happens.

HBO

3. Tara Maclay and Willow Rosenberg, Buffy

When Willow revealed to Buffy that she had feelings for Tara, she avoided labeling herself and just said she was falling in love with her. As their relationship blossomed, so did Willow's magical powers. That's a pretty good incentive for romance.

IMDB

2. Chris Keller and Tobias Beecher, Oz

Before he was chasing pervs and perps on Law & Order: SVU, Christopher Meloni starred as an imprisoned psychopathic killer named Chris Keller on Oz. Keller planned to manipulate fellow (and much less harmful) convict Tobias Beecher, but actually ended up falling in love with him. Aw.

HBO

1. Aaron and Eric, The Walking Dead

Aaron and Eric will do anything for one another, and their relationship has a lot of romantic parallels with Glenn and Maggie's. The only real difference is that Aaron and Eric both pee standing up (and that Rick doesn't really trust them).

AMC

Cameron and Mitchell are the absolute cutest, whether they're revisiting Cam's clown past or bickering over Mitchell being uptight. Their relationship is both hilarious and realistic, and their sassy daughter Lily just completes it. They're everything.